Huntress
by VenomousStar
Summary: Connor x Female OC. She hunted because she needed to, why must he hunt? Will earn the M rating a couple of chapters in to the story. But, for now... ON WITH THE FLUFF!
1. Prologue

A.N

OKAY! So, this is set when Ratonhnhake:ton ( I know there's an accent over the E but my keyboard doesn't have it :\ ) is a child. So I'd say he's about 9 and Lakota (my OC) is the same. They are both speaking their native language but as I don't speak it then it's written in English! Also, I know she's a bit young to be hunting but I'll explain why in the next chapter. It's a little rushed and not the best so I could get into a part that isn't in the game...if that makes sense? Any questions, feel free to ask! ^.^

Disclaimer!

I do not own anything affiliated with Assassins Creed, nor any of the characters except for any of my original characters in this story!

BEGIN!

The lone doe innocently nibbled on the dewy grass below, unsuspecting of the huntress in the tree above her. The silent killer pulled an arrow into place on her bow and aimed true at the deer's heart and released, strike! A clean kill, sure the pelt wouldn't be as perfect but she could feed herself and her Mother for a while now. She slowly dismounted gracefully from the tree. Crouching lower, she placed her weapon on the grass and skimmed her finger tips along the deer's hind leg, up its rib cage and rested her hand where her arrow had struck.

"Thank you, kind spirits, for the life bestowed upon me through this doe. Her energy will not be wasted."

And with a sharp but delicate movement, she plucked the arrow from the deer's hide. She slipped her right hand underneath the cloth covering her body and withdrew a blade with a carved wooden handle in the shape of a wolf's head. She breathed in deeply and brought the knife to the deer and quickly pulled hide and meat from the carcass and left the undesirables to the wolves. Sheathing the fresh meat in a thin bag strung over the girl's shoulder she gathered her weapons and arranged them neatly around her body, freeing her arms and legs so she could climb the trees once more in case her meat attracted the attention of a bear or wild cat. She reached a comfortable perch in the nearby tree and looked to her left; she bounced and leapt from branch to branch until she came to an abrupt stop. Only, her body never truly stopped as another body smacked into the back of her and knocked her from her tree. Landing in a pile of branches and decomposing leaves she growled deeply. A hand latched on to hers and pulled her from the compost and pulled twigs from her hair.

"Lakota! I am deeply sorry!"

"Ratonhnhake:ton..." she growled.

"I am sorry Lakota! I did not mean to, I was only-

"What _were _you doing following me?!"

"...I was learning." He stated softly, turning his head down and covering his face with his soft raven hair.

Learning? She thought.

"Learning what?" she demanded.

"How to hunt as silently as you do"

Lakota stepped back, feeling strangely warm but uncomfortable at his compliment.

"You're a natural huntress, it's in the way you move." He continued.

A red tint glowed under Lakota's tanned skin as she bowed her head in turn to hide behind her soft raven hair.

"Thank you Ratonhnhake:ton, but next time-"  
He leaned forward in excitement to see if she would propose they go hunting together some time.  
She grabbed his throat and pulled him close to her face.

"Do not follow me." She spat, letting go of his face.

She left him there that day, next to the pile of compost as he rubbed his neck where her fingers had wrapped around rather tightly. And they never spoke for a while until one day a terrible event took place. Her Mother died.

Ratonhnhake:ton had found out Lakota's Mother had died at the same time she did. She had just come back from hunting, with the hare she had skilfully attracted with a handful of bate, something that he had watched from a nearby tree. He never listened to her threat that day and had followed her on almost every hunting trip since. He never knew whether she was oblivious to his presence, or if she knew he was there and just chose to ignore him, but nevertheless he always stayed a good distance away and simply observed her. She strolled passed the large wooden barrier to the entrance of her village when she noticed something wasn't right, the people looked at her with saddened eyes and all at once, she knew. Dropping the Hare from one hand and her knife from the other, she ran to her home, praying to see her Mother in bed- poorly, but still alive. However, her prayers were not answered.

A wail of despair travelled through the village as the nine year old sunk to the ground next to the cot that her Mother lay upon. Shudders and shivers raced through her body as she laid her head upon the cot and stroked her Mother's cheek. Tears spilled from her eyes and she screamed her Mother's name again and again until she cried herself to sleep.

When she awoke the elder's took her Mother away and created a burial ceremony. Lakota left early and returned home. She lay on the cot her Mother once lay on and turned away from the entrance of her house to shut herself from the outside world. She did not notice the shuffle of feet until they stood at the side of her cot, turning around she noticed the familiar face of Ratonhnhake:ton. He had brought her knife and the Hare she had caught and he strung it up by the other meat she had brought back. All the while, Lakota's puffy red eyes followed him around the shelter until he stood by the side of the cot once more. He grunted as if to clear his throat but then no words escaped his lips. He turned to walk away until he felt a small hand wrap around his wrist. His eyes followed the wrist until his eyes met Lakota's and she whispered

"Please, stay."

Ratonhnhake:ton sat on the edge of the cot until she moved to give him room where he then lay down next to her. They looked at each other as another wave of tears spilled from Lakota's eyes, Ratonhnhake:ton was the closest thing she had to a friend in the village, and with that thought, she hugged him tightly. At first he was shocked and tense but then he began to hum the chant their people sing every day, and they both fell asleep in eachother's arms.

One month later.

Since that day, Ratonhnhake:ton and Lakota could not be separated. No elder in particular took responsibility for Lakota as she could look after herself but they all made sure she was safe. All of the children ran out of the village gate, initiating a game of Hide and seek, starting with Ratonhnhake:ton having to find everyone first. He made a silent promise to himself to find Lakota before the rest and as he knew she preferred hiding in trees that was where he looked first. He spotted her, squished up close against the trunk, almost blending in with the bark if her jet black braids did not give her away then she would have been safe.

"FOUND YOU!" he called to her,

" Awww, you cheated!"

"Did not! Your braids gave you away! Now get down here so we can find everyone else" he called,

She climbed down and grabbed his hand, dragging him to where she knew Kanen'to:kon was hiding.

She held a finger to her lips and pointed to where he was as they pounced on the pile of leaves. Their friend jumped out.

"Ok, you found me! Now everyone else!" he said.

They continued until everyone was found and then started a new game with Kanen'to:kon as the finder. Ratonhnhake:ton was still holding Lakota's hand as he ran to a pile of leaves and pulled her inside, they giggled until they heard their friend's footsteps coming to find them, a hand reached in and pulled Ratonhnhake:ton out but he soon realised that it belonged to a tall white man in a red coat. Men surrounded him and he could not see Lakota anywhere, he tried to run but a man tripped him. He picked him up by the neck and told him to tell his elders something in English which he could speak as his Mother had taught him. When the man was done he let him go. Whilst on the ground he asked,

"What, is your name?"

"Charles Lee. Why do you ask?" he responded,

"So I can find you." He spat back at him before a man hit him in the head and everything went black.

"Ratonhnhake:ton! Ratonhnhake:ton! Wake up!" he heard a voice say to him.

He held his head, it throbbed in pain.

"We need to go, our village!"

He tried to stand but he swayed dangerously so Lakota supported some of his weight and walked with him to the village but dread soon crept up into their stomach as thick black smoke and a red haze surrounded their village.

"NO!" screamed Ratonhnhake:ton, he pushed away from her and ran to the village. Terrified screams rang out from the tribe.

"MOTHER" He screamed,

He found her trapped beneath some wood, he tried to help but it was no good. She spoke to him.

"I will always be beside you, forever"

He reached for her hand but a man dragged him away.

"MOTHER! NO LET ME GO!"

He watched her face disappear as the building collapsed upon her and he told her he loved her, for the last time.

Tears fell and smashed against the dry earth. Vicious red and orange flames destroyed his home and all within it. All he could hear were screams and violent cracking of wood.

Slowly, a small hand smoothly and gently ran across his shoulder, calming him. His ears tuned into a chant, the chant his people would sing every day. A little girl came into view next to him and he realised that Lakota was singing to him like what he did for her when her Mother passed away. He hugged her and sobbed on to her shoulder as she stroked his hair and shushed him, all the time singing the familiar chant until the fire died.

THERE YOU GO! Prologue done! ^.^ Next one will be up soon!

Love,


	2. A Hunting Trip to Remember

A.N

OKAY! So, things will begin to get interesting now as Ratonhnhake:ton and Lakota are older now and have become a lot closer! For reference, this part of the story is set when Kanen'to:kon is teaching Ratonhnhake:ton how to hunt but in this version of the story, it's Lakota that is teaching him! I'd say they're about 17 at this point. Hope you enjoy, and don't forget to leave a comment if you feel like it!

Disclaimer!

I do not own anything affiliated with Assassins Creed, nor any of the characters except for any of my original characters in this story!

Ratonhnhake:ton woke to a soft pressure pressed on the bed next to his shoulder and warm air brushing against his ear.

"It's time to get up, today we are hunting." Said a familiar voice, and it coaxed his eyes to open, only to reveal a wide eyed Lakota above him, all ready equipped with hunting gear. She turned away and left the hut to leave him to equip himself with the bow and knife he preferred. They joined again at the entrance to the hut and headed out of the village to hunt. A tree trunk that fell slightly on its side created a great path into the tree tops and so she ran up it, Ratonhnhake:ton following. They travelled outside of the valley until they spotted a pair of hares nibbling on flowers on the ground. Lakota jumped to a branch that had a large patch of tall grass that she silently fell into, whilst Ratonhnhake:ton followed patiently.

"I will set a snare and put down some bate to attract the animals. My snare can only hold one so when I catch one you take the other with your knife. Make it clean."

Ratonhnhake:ton nodded and withdrew his dagger and held it, watching the Hare. Lakota lay snare and bate and the two Hares bounded over. The snare tightened quickly and killed the Hare as he stabbed the other, barely damaging the pelt. They looked at each other and smiled to congratulate on their catch as they moved to gather the meat. After they had pulled the things they needed from the bodies and confessed their thanks to the spirits, they travelled once again into the trees. They hunted for a while until Lakota proposed they race to see who can collect 5 deer hide and meat and meet back at the same tree first. Ratonhnhake:ton nodded and they sprinted through the trees, gathering meat and hide in different directions. Lakota had one left to catch as she surveyed from the trees. She spotted deer tracks which led her to a lone buck, unsuspecting of her whereabouts. She took position on the branch, withdrew an arrow, slid it into place on her bow and began to take aim until SMACK!

A large force knocked her from her tree and tumbled to the ground with her, however, it broke her fall as she landed fully on top of whatever it was. Groaning, she lifted her head up only to come face to face with a grinning Ratonhnhake:ton.

"We have a habit of this." He stated.

"Yeah, well it's always your fault!" She barked at him but ended it with a giggle while she rubbed her neck.

"You have grass in your hair." She spoke through laughs,

"Not as much as you do!" He spoke through large chuckles. His hand made its way to Lakota's hair and picked a large twig out from one of her jet black braids. However, his hand never fully pulled away and his eyes stayed locked on her soft hair. He took the braid between his fingers and felt the soft and gentle feel of it. Lakota's eyes stared into his as she watched him feel her hair. He looked fascinated and she couldn't move her eyes away from his as he continued to touch her hair. He ran his fingers over the end of her braid and his finger tips skimmed Lakota's neck right where her pulse beat hard and fast.

"Are you feeling ok, Lakota? Do you need a healer? Your heart is fast like you are scared." He spoke urgently, breaking her stare from his eyes.

"Y-yes. I'm fine." She said quickly as she stood up and retrieved her bow

"How many deer did you find?" she asked quickly, as if to change the subject of a silent topic they had just discussed.

"Um, 4" he said,

"That buck was to be my 5th." She nodded in agreement. Dusting her clothes off she began to walk back to the village. Pausing, she looked over her shoulder at the man still on the ground.

"Come," she said, "we must take this back to the village before it is dark." And then she walked away.


	3. Why He Chose Her

A.N

I'm sorry this chapter is so short, but I wanted a nice end to this chapter. It will be updated soon though, so no worries! :)

When the two returned to the village, Clan Mother called for Ratonhnhake:ton. He was gone for a long time and when he found Lakota again, he told her of the sacred ground they walk on; of the glowing orb he had held, of the spirit that had told him of his path and the journey he must take, and then he took her hand and asked her to go with him, and she said yes.

*A few moments earlier*

"The world is changing, and we cannot hide forever."

"I will not sit here and wait for our end."

"Then I release you, you may leave"

"Thank you Clan Mother, but may I ask something?"

"Yes, Ratonhnhake:ton"

"May I take Lakota with me?"

"No."

"Why not?"

"Why must you take her with you?"

"I can't leave her here: on her own."

"She is not alone. Her people are here. Her tribe are here"

"But she would not be happy. And-and neither would I."

"Very well, then I release her. She may leave."

"What changed your mind?"

"Because I cannot change yours."

Ratonhnhake:ton smiled slightly and looked to the ground. The Clan Mother talked of a man to the East that would help him. He bore the symbol of the spirits and had helped his Mother. He stood to leave when she told him,

"Yours is a noble heart. But I fear you expect too much. Go. Seek your symbol. Find your way." She said as he turned to walk away.

"And Ratonhnhake:ton,"

"Yes, Clan Mother?"

"She too has a noble heart, and is a strong hunter. I can see why you chose her."

"Chose her...as what?"

"As your mate."

And then the old woman walked away, leaving Ratonhnhake:ton to think about what she had just said.


	4. Touching So Close

A.N

OKAY! So, I'm gonna change the perspective of this chapter to Lakota's view just to get some added feelings in there. So, without further ado, here's the chapter!

We travelled for a long time. He never gave up, always pushing forward. When a house came into view it was as if the spirits had planted it in front of us themselves! We ran faster than we had the whole journey, and when the old man slammed the door on our faces we were so upset. I could see it in his eyes; he was determined, but upset. However, when the spirits brought the clouds over head and unleashed a downpour of water upon us, we took refuge in the stables by the side of the house. My teeth chattered loud and my whole body vibrated-half with fear and half with the cold. I loved the rain but anything loud that sounded like when the white men shoot fire from their hands and fear runs through my body like startled deer. He placed a hand on my shoulder and I jumped.

"Easy, easy. It's ok, Lakota." He calmed me with his hand firm on my shoulder. I slowed my fast and unsteady breathing and when I was calm again he began to unroll the fabric bed we had been given from Clan Mother. He sat down and studied the ground, obviously in thought. I pushed myself towards him on my shaky legs.

"We must sleep; we've a long day tomorrow." He said. I nodded and began to undo my braids. I braided my hair almost every day to keep it out of the way while hunting, but it was so uncomfortable to sleep on so I un braided it every night before sleep. I was sitting on the bed roll beside Ratonhnhake:ton while I raked my fingers through my braids slowly when I felt another hand join mine and run its fingers through the wavy strands that fallen passed my shoulder blades. Ratonhnhake:ton had always liked my hair, I knew he did, the two braids reminded him of his Mother. He began to untie the second braid and when he was done he continued to run his fingers through my hair. It felt lovely! I never wanted it to stop, but as soon as I wished it never ended; he pulled his hands away and lay down.

"Goodnight, Lakota." He whispered.  
"Goodnight, Ratonhnhake:ton." I said with a smile. The storm had passed quickly, and I was not tired so I spent most of the night watching the stars in the sky. Sometimes, I could feel Ratonhnhake:ton's eyes watch me to see what I was doing, but I never turned round. I let him sleep. I watched the stars for what seemed like many moments passed until I slowly slid back over to him, his face comfortably relaxed in his sleep. He lay on his side and the only way for me to be able to get on the sleeping mat was to slide myself under his arm and copy his position so he was behind me with his chest to my back. Being a silent huntress, sneaking in beside him was easy but I got a fright when his arm wrapped around me from behind and pulled me close to his body, I could feel his life beating against my back and his head was nestled in my hair and blowing hot air against my neck. I felt at ease. I felt at home. And with the feeling of comfort in mind, I drifted off into a dreamless sleep.

I woke before him, his hand still wrapped around me tightly-securing me to him- and his head still on my neck. His breathing became less steadied and I could feel him begin to wake up. I turned around to face him and when his eyes opened he stared at me. His hand was in the arch of my back and he didn't attempt to move it until he realised where he was and who he was with. Sitting up quickly, his body became straight and as tall as a tree.

"I'm going to talk to the old man again. He is sure to let me in today." And with his statement, he was gone. I Looked around the stable and found the great eyes of a beautiful horse staring at me. Large and strong yet gentle legs held the stallion and he sighed patiently as I climbed into the stall with him. My hands found his spine and I touched his smooth dark brown hide; beautiful. He reminded me of Ratonhnhake:ton; Harsh and brooding to everyone else, but handsome and gentle in my eyes.

"I never imagined that he would find comfort in a native woman. So many white women have tried to tame him, but none successful." Came a weary and tired voice. I turned, shocked. I didn't know anyone was out here. My panicked eyes skimmed an old man, with dark skin and a white beard staring at me whilst leaning on a walking stick, he was the man from the manor. I had no idea what he was saying, Ratonhnhake:ton spoke the white man's language not me! This man was no white skin, but he had the tongue of one, none were to say he did not have the ambition of one either. I bared my teeth in offence to scare him off but he stood his ground, his eyes beginning to soften and show me he meant no harm.

"Lakota, he's not at the mano-" I heard Ratonhnhake:ton call before he changed tongues to speak to the old man.

"What are you doing out here?" he asked the old man,

"She took a liking to my horse; he's not a tamed one yet, look how calm he is with her"

"She does that. She can give an animal the love she would give her family, but can also hunt and kill as quick as an eagle."

I had no idea what Ratonhnhake:ton was saying to the man but whatever he had said certainly had an impact on the elder. His eyes lit up with curiosity. He turned to me,

"Would you like to ride the horse, my dear?" he said with a smile. I looked at Ratonhnhake:ton with panic in my eyes, I have no idea what he was saying! It was as if Ratonhnhake:ton knew what was wrong and he told me what the man had said but in our language. A smile spread across my face. I nodded in response and as quick as that the man showed me where he kept his leather horse equipment. I preferred riding bare back but this man did not seem confident enough in his horse to let me control him without the help of equipment. I pulled myself on to the stallion's back and walked him slowly over to the path leading away from the manor. I connected with the horse as soon as we saw each other and I began to trust him as he trusted me. His legs became my legs. His eyes became my eyes. I kicked him onwards and rode him fast onto a large hill that looked out onto sea. This was a glorious place, I would not mind if I were to live here.

A few hours later:

I had decided upon naming the stallion Spear. He was fast and attacked the ground but he was agile and could jump almost anything he wanted. By the time Spear and I were tired it was growing darker and so I returned to the stables. Slowing Spear down to a trot I came around the corner of the manor and swung my leg over Spear to jump down. As soon as my feet touched the ground a body slammed into me and pushed me against the wall of the manor. S finger pressed to my lips to shush me and I tried to push the hand off of me.

"Lakota! It's me, Ratonhnhake:ton, there are men here and they do not look friendly." A familiar voice said and I began to relax and take in my surroundings to create a plan of how to attack. However, I could not think as the warmth and comforting feeling of Ratonhnhake:ton's body pressed against mine was making me dizzy. His legs stood between mine but our stomachs and chests were pressed together like we were going to die if we were to pull apart. One of his long arms was above my shoulder, his hand spread out across the bricks. His eyes darted between me and the men as if he were deciding on whether or not to stay with me or fight.

"Stay here." He demanded, and then he was gone, I could hear the men grunting in pain as they were being hit but then I ran through a door, upstairs in the manor to find the old man. When I found him he was grabbing his cane and hurrying down the stairs to help Ratonhnhake:ton, he brought his cane up and brought it down upon one of the other men's heads, instantly knocking them to sleep. The sickening noise kept replaying in my head. Sure, I had hunted and killed numerous animals, but to hurt a man, it just felt different. The cracking noise kept thundering through my head, until I heard Ratonhnhake:ton's voice calling my name, then I fell down and everything went black.


	5. You're All I Have Left

My skin is paler than all the children's, my hair, lighter. My eyes did not share the wistful look of my ancestors. But, of course, my father was a white man, though of no choice of my mother. He raped her, and yet he still had the guts to call her a savage. My whole life was spent caring for my mother, her past had never left her and the spirits continued to plague her with the memories she did not want to see. Often, she woke screaming, water pouring all over her skin. Her body never got the rest it craved until her passing. I remember. I remember, when I returned from a hunting trip, only to find a small boy shushing my mother as she had obviously disturbed the village screaming my name until I returned. I never truly thanked Ratonhnhake:ton for that.

I jumped awake with a deep inhale of breath.

"Hey! Lakota, shh. It's ok! I'm here." I heard Ratonhnhake:ton's soothing voice call out. I was on a soft bed inside the manor in one of the upstairs rooms. I tried to sit up but my arms gave out beneath me.

"You collapsed. It seems that although you can hunt the wilderness, hunting a man does not bode well for you." I recalled last night's events.

"Ooh" was all I could manage. Ratonhnhake:ton was sitting beside me with his back against the top of the bed and his feet stretched out before him. I managed to move onto my side to face him. It was still dark outside meaning it was early in the morning.

"Have you slept, Ratonhnhake:ton?"

At the mention of sleep, his eyes began to droop and he began to look extremely tired. His back slunk down the wall until he was lay down beside me.

"Thankyou, Ratonhnhake:ton."

He turned his head to look at me,

"For what?" he asked,

"Everything" His mouth twitched into a smile but it did not last long, but his eyes gave away the contempt feeling I knew he felt at my thanks. His hand drifted up to my hair, that he must have unpleated while I slept, and he tucked a few strands behind my ear and out of my face. His hand slid from my ear to my shoulder, and then pushed my shoulder down so I was forced to turn away from him. His arm then slid down my rib cage to my waist where he pulled me strongly but delicately to rest in a spot in front of him, mirroring his position with his chest to my back.

"No Lakota, thank you." he whispered in my ear, his smiling mouth brushing against my cheek. His warm breath tickled my neck and lulled me to a comforting sleep, to await the sunrise.

Two months later,

I have learned the old man's name, Achilles. It took time to learn but the old man is patient. We sat together, whilst Ratonhnhake:ton was out on a small errand, and he taught me. His hand pointed at his chest,

"Achilles" he said, and then he gestured to me. I did not understand at first so he repeated his name patiently.

"Lakota" I finally managed to say. The old man smiled and repeated my name, I tried to say Achilles but instead I muttered some different name that sounded completely Mohawk. He chuckled a deep laugh and I tried again but resorted to calling him what I had heard Ratonhnhake:ton call him many a time, "Old Man." He seemed to like that. He gave Ratonhnhake:ton a new name; Connor. It is shorter but it is hard to pronounce when you have spoken Mohawk all of your life. He has gone by the name of Connor for two months now. That's how long we've been here. Since then we have developed routine and duties. Achilles is teaching Connor the ways of the assassins. Connor is teaching me a new language and I look after the horses and animals on the homestead. I have become the Clan Mother to the men, and I love it. Achilles and Connor had spent all day down in the secret basement, opened by candelabra. I had taken Spear riding earlier, and had managed to catch a deer for dinner. The men would enjoy some venison. I took the Venison out of the oven and plated it up with the vegetables I had cooked. It had taken me a while to get used to an oven instead of an open fire, but I got used to it eventually. I called them out from the basement and set their plates on the table and then took my seat.

"This is beautiful, Lakota!" the old man said as he took a great mouthful and closed his eyes in delight. I only half knew what he was saying but it did click after a while.

" Mmm, just what I was needing! How 'bout you Connor?" he asked,

"It is lovely." He said, in his closed off way. I should be used to this by now, but I just don't understand why he can't show his emotions.

"You will make a wonderful wife, Lakota! The man you marry will be a very lucky man." Assured Achilles. At his words Connor's eyes opened wide for a second and he froze mid shovelling of food to his mouth. He then smiled. It was a small smile but it lit up his eyes and he looked like he was day dreaming. What was he smiling at? And marry, what did that mean? Days passed as my mind ran through the Old man's words, trying to find out what they meant. Achilles and Connor had left for a city, looking to do business with a man; it was Connor's fist time outside of the homestead. They had been gone for most of the day-I filled my time with cleaning the manor, looking after the animals and hunting for food- until I heard the creaking of the old wooden door at the front of the manor. I walked out to greet them but only found the Old man.

"Where Connor?" I asked,

"He is doing business and being taught a few life skills by a man. Do not worry." The old man said, as if he sensed the fear growing within me upon not seeing Connor. I nodded, and told Achilles I was going to sleep before walking up the stairs to the spare bedroom that me and Connor shared. I slept restlessly that night, dreaming horrible thoughts of what could be happening to Connor. When I woke the sun was shining through the window. I could hear shouting downstairs in the unmistakable tone of Connor's voice. He was home. I leapt up to join the men downstairs but as my feet touched the floor, stomping could be heard coming up the stairs. I walked to the door to meet Connor but he stormed through and ignored me completely; pacing wildly across the wooden floorboards.

"I can't believe he left me there! How dare he?! He calls himself a mentor when he left me there in the hands of a man I did not know. What a foolish old ma-" I stood in front of him, forcing him to stop his pacing. My right hand rested on his upper arm. His head turned to look at my hand planted on his arm, sending his fluffy raven hair moving softly as he moved. His eyes travelled from my hand to my eyes, he was still panting from his rant about the Old Man but as we looked at each other's eyes all of our worries melted and Connor's eyes relaxed into the self he only showed to me. His chest expanded as he took in a deep breath and he closed his eyes.

"Look. Me." I tried to tell him to look at me in the English. It was harder than I had thought, but I got the message across. Connor opened his eyes and moved slightly closer to me bringing my arm with him that I did not realise was still attached to his forearm. Suddenly I realised how close he was to me. He seemed to realise it too as he pulled his head back ever so slightly and his muscles tensed. A shiver ran up my spine. When had he developed such large muscles? Ratonhnhake:ton was a warrior like many men of our tribe, and as an open community we had frequently bathed together as kids, but since moving in with the Old Man, he and I spent very little time together. The arm that I still had a hold of tensed as his hand moved to hold just below my elbow. His touch was soft; as if he were scared he would break me or scare me off like a frightened doe. His fingers traced a light trail down to my hand as he pulled his bicep away from me; he was now holding my hand, our palms touching. His rough hands were much larger than mine. His rough fingertips were a quarter of a finger exposed over the top of mine. He stared at my eyes as I looked at our fingers and as quick as a hare he grabbed my hand and rested it on his chest, above his heart; flipping his hand to lay atop of mine. His life beat beneath my palm, hard and strong. His lips parted slowly as if he were trying to find words, he did and they weren't English so I could understand them clearly enough but yet not fully.

"You are my family, Lakota. You're all I have left." I believed there were more words he wanted to spill as his eyes told me things his mouth could not. They spoke of heartbreak, fear, vengeance, but most importantly, love.


	6. You're All I Have Left (C's View)

This is just the same chapter from before but in Connor/ Ratonhnhake:ton's view so feel free to skip, it's just a kind of filler as I wanted to include his thoughts.

Her hand was pressed against my forearm. The lithe fingers were wrapped around my limb, firm yet gentle. I didn't bother to look at her because I knew she was looking at me. I followed her arm, outstretched in front of her, to clasp on to me. I stepped closer. We stood in silence but soon my mind began to study her as I could see her studying me. Lakota had grown, and with my absence it had seemed she had matured into a woman over night. Her eyes looked full of wisdom and her face spoke welcoming words. She was beautiful. I pulled my arm slowly away from her but never broke contact as my hand slid down her arm to rest on her palm. Her hands were thin and long and obviously feminine, my fingertips felt bare without touching her skin. I had been studying her hands for only a second so I changed my eyes to rest on her. Where was the small, boyishly built Lakota? She had hunt from a very young age which had led to her having a different build to the other girls of the tribe, I had noticed that when we used to bathe together. Now she had a dip between her ribs and her hips-"perfect for my hands to sit" he thought to himself as he battled the urge to hold her waist. Her hair had grown and was not pleated at the very moment, looking thick and shiny. It sat around her shoulders and framed her face, the black emphasising the green of her eyes. It was funny, how different things were now. A bath shared between the two of us when we were younger was innocent and childish, but now; now the thought of it sent a rush of blood to begin pumping and my heart to thump. Without a second thought I pulled her hand to rest on my heart, hoping I could show her what she made me feel without having to express it through words. She looked shocked and a little frightened but when she felt the steady beat of my heart she relaxed and leaned into the feeling. Her eyes studied mine and even though I had told her of love in a family sense, she knew what I had meant, and I could see it in her eyes as well. She loves me.


End file.
